![]() ![]() In fact, too much of it (too much dialogue or exposition as well) can stop the forward motion of story. But even back story should give the reader the understanding that what’s happening out of sight and what happened prior to the story’s opening even now propel the story forward.)ĭescription doesn’t necessarily have the forward movement of the other three elements mentioned here. (Any of the three can also provide back story, which is a look back rather than a movement forward. Dialogue, action, and exposition carry character or plot forward. Excluding description, these are the fiction elements that move the story. Third-tier elements include dialogue, action, description, and exposition (and all their sub-elements).ĭialogue, action, description, and exposition are what writers use to address the five W’s, to show character, plot, and setting. These elements don’t necessarily drive story, but they can direct it. Each of these three elements can be manipulated by the writer to create effects, to influence reader emotions, to shade meaning. ![]() A writer can also vary pace in short passages, in scenes, and throughout chapters. (Writers would do well to direct tone, but they don’t have to worry that they’re forgetting it.)Ī writer’s style includes diction (word choice) and syntax (word order). Thus, they will be there writers don’t have to intentionally put them into a story. Yet a story will have them whether the writer consciously works at them or not. They’re so important that a change in either can steer a story on a different course than first intended. Style-what the author brings to a story-and tone-the story’s own personality-are both important for fiction. So, I can say that point of view is important for directing or presenting a story, but it doesn’t carry the weight for story that character, plot, and setting do. But stories all have words as well, and we don’t list words among the elements of fiction. Point of view is obviously important since every story has one (or two or five, a discussion for a different article). (You could argue it needs one to make a good story, but a story can stand without an apparent theme.) A story will probably have a theme, but it doesn’t require one to make it a story. But I’ll relegate them to second-tier status. ![]() Point of view, theme, and style (or tone) are sometimes mentioned along with the top three in the basics category. What, then, falls to the second tier? What are the elements that bolster the top three? Readers want the blanks filled in by story’s end.Īnd so, the basic elements take care of essential information. Now, he might want that information presented in an entertaining manner, but the reader doesn’t want to reach the end of a book only to find vital information withheld by the author. The reader still wants to know who done it and how. Many of us learned about the five W’s when we learned to write and practiced with news articles.įiction has the same needs, even though the details and facts or the events or the characters (or any combination thereof) are made up. If one of the five W’s is missing, any explanation is incomplete. In non-fiction, the five W’s (and one H) provide information necessary for a news story or to complete a report based on fact. Character motivation and/or theme can be called upon to answer the why question. Think of these three as the legs of a tripod, each necessary for balance and the support of whatever sits atop them.Ĭharacter, plot, and setting answer the questions of who, what & how, and where & when. We need at least one person (being) doing some thing in some place. These elements are essential to fiction-a story without any one of these three is not a story. We can call this the first tier of elements. The three most important elements of fiction are character, plot, and setting. Or maybe I should call them the most basic of basics. Februby Fiction Editor Beth Hill last modified February 4, 2011Ĭonfused about what constitutes the necessary elements of fiction?Ĭonfusion isn’t difficult to achieve since there are as many explanations of the elements as there are writers, teachers of writing, editors, and students of the craft.īut most agree on the basics. ![]()
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